


she's a work of art

by falling in love (princess_zel)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dating, F/M, Fluff, Jet isn't good at art, Painting, Yue is an artist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29793228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princess_zel/pseuds/falling%20in%20love
Summary: It's date night, and at Yue's request, Jet agrees to go with her to a couple's painting class.
Relationships: Jet/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	she's a work of art

**Author's Note:**

> ...hi lol. zk has eluded me for the time being so here's more jue :) j as an fyi, this isn't set in the same universe as my last jue oneshot
> 
> (i didn't extensively proofread so hopefully there aren't a ton of errors jkfdhgkjdhfg)

Here in the art studio at this casual couple’s painting class, Yue is in her element. The apron she’s wearing cinches at her waist and is covered with messy splotches of bright paint. Her hair, bleached platinum blonde, has been twisted into a knot at the top of her head, and her blue eyes are narrowed in concentration, glancing from her propped easel to her muse and back again.

Jet enjoys watching her. He’s not too much of an artist himself, preferring to express himself via martial arts or fencing instead of pastels and paints. Still, he appreciates the beauty of art, and by extension, his girlfriend, because Yue both creates and  _ is  _ art.

“Are you even painting anymore, Jet?” Yue arches a brow, barely glancing at him before dipping her brush into a cup of murky water so that she can clean it properly.

Caught slightly off guard, Jet recovers quickly, his lips sliding into a smirk that never fails to make his girlfriend blush. “Of course I am, darlin,” he shoots back easily. “I’m just taking a good look at my reference.” He has a solid excuse, and he knows it.

They’re painting each other.

Or, at least, they would be if Jet could actually do more than squeeze paint out onto his palette.

“Take a picture; it’ll last longer,” Yue replies cooly, her cheeks tinting red for the briefest of moments. She isn’t usually so forward, but he finds that he really likes her like this.

Winking roguishly, Jet shakes his head. “I think I like looking at you more.” Still, he dips his brush into the paint before dragging it lightly across his blank canvas. He already knows that Yue’s portrait of him will be sure to capture his stunningly good looks, but there’s no way he’ll be able to properly return the favor due to his lack of artistic ability.

With a laugh, Yue returns to her painting. “You’re unbelievable.”

As Madam Wu, the instructor of their class, strolls by, she peeks at Yue’s work in progress. “That’s quite the impressive piece,” she says admiringly. “You captured his essence perfectly.” As his girlfriend beams under the praise, she crosses over to his side, peering over his shoulder. “And you… have not yet started?”

The smirk gracing his features doesn’t falter or slip into a scowl. “Of course I have,” he replies smoothly, his teeth flashing in a striking smile. “My live reference is very distracting, though.” With a gesture toward his girlfriend, he continues, “Isn’t she lovely? Prettier than a picture, I say. There’s no way I’ll be able to do her justice.”

Madam Wu nearly swoons. “Spirits, what a romantic.” She waves her hands quickly before clasping them against her chest. “I’ll leave you both to it, then. I can’t wait to see how the final pieces turn out.”

…He can’t either, especially considering the fact that he might not even  _ have _ a final piece by the end of this class. With renewed vigor, he pulls a few tight lines with black paint and a thin brush, hoping that Yue doesn’t have high expectations.

“Mine is going to look better than yours will,” Yue says, but he catches the teasing glint in her blue eyes.

Jet huffs, but they both know she’s right. “Hey, in all fairness, you’re the artsy one. Yours is  _ supposed _ to look better than mine.” 

Born the only child of a celebrity jeweler, Yue’s whole life is art. She works part-time at her dad’s store on the nicer side of the city and takes painting commissions on the side. Luxury, security, and comfort have never been foreign to her, and that’s part of what’s made her taste for art possible.

The same isn’t so for Jet. All he’s known up until recently is struggle and hardship. Losing his parents as only a kid changed him, as did growing up in the foster care system. His drive for justice carried him from high school to undergrad and then through law school.

Meeting Yue through one of their mutual friends, Katara, was a pivotal moment in Jet’s life, and she’s part of what’s made it so meaningful. He’d been surprised at how easy it was to slip into a relationship with Yue. She was everything he didn’t know he needed and all that he thought he’d never be able to find. 

At first, Yue’s father wasn’t all that pleased with her choice in a boyfriend, but upon Jet’s acceptance to one of the biggest firms in the city, he promptly changed his mind, saying he’d be proud to call Jet his son-in-law one day. 

Jet was never one for serious relationships, but Yue changed that too, even if her dad was kind of a jerk.

And now he’s here, at a couple’s art class, not to appease or placate his girlfriend, but to bond with her and to smirk as she deliberates over what blend of colors would most accurately match his skin tone.

“Mine is going to look better than yours because I’m actually  _ working _ on it,” Yue laughs, leaning over to poke his nose with the wooden handle of her brush. “You need to hurry up. Class is over in fifteen minutes, and I’m craving budae jjigae.” 

So, Jet sets back to work, doing the best he can with the limited time he has, hoping that Yue’s won’t be  _ too _ mind-blowing because then he’ll feel pretty terrible about his trashy job. He won’t let her see his piece, but by the end of the class, he’s got a pretty decent painting whipped together and can finally pull off his paint-covered apron.

It’s not the best work in the room, by any means, and he knows that Yue’s will be worlds better than his, but… it’s the thought that counts.

At least, he hopes that it’s the thought that counts.

When Yue finally persuades him to allow her to peek at his painting from over his shoulder, she breaks into a glorious smile. “Spirits, Jet. It’s perfect.” Then, she tosses her smock to the side so that she can hug him properly without getting paint on him. With her arms wrapped around his waist, she tilts her head upward to look at him, “We’re framing this when we get back to my apartment.” 

“After we start the budae jjigae?” His lips twist into a proud grin. Even if his painting sucks, it got his girl to smile, and that’s all that really matters.

She nods, “After we start the budae jjigae.” Then, she grips his wrist between a few of her slender fingers, pulling him over to her easel so he can have a look at her painting. “What do you think?” she asks, intently watching for his reaction.

It’s beyond perfect, and words could never do it justice.

Madam Wu was right. Yue really did capture his essence in her portrait of him. From his unruly locks of dark hair, to the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, to the satisfied smirk that stretches across his features, to the way his arms are folded over his chest challengingly. 

Seeing himself through Yue’s eyes in this way is an emotional experience for him.

He gathers her into his arms, crushing her against his chest and whispering into her hair, “I love it, Yue.” He presses a kiss to her forehead, “I’m sorry mine sucked so much… Doing something so poorly isn’t within my nature, you know.” He’s mostly joking.

Rolling her eyes fondly, Yue places a hand on his chest, pushing him away lightly. “Sure it isn’t,” she laughs then glances at the clock hanging on the opposite wall. “We should pack our things up and head out. We still have to make dinner.”

Just before they transport their art a few streets down to Yue’s apartment, they make sure to wave goodbye to Madam Wu and several of the other couples they met during the class, promising to be back soon and to keep in touch.

As soon as they step through Yue’s front door, the art pieces are placed on her kitchen table so they can dry as she rummages around her cabinets for all the ingredients to their favorite budae jjigae.

Jet sinks onto the small couch in the adjoining living room, propping his feet up on the coffee table. Folding his hands behind his hand, he sighs, “Did you enjoy tonight, darlin?”

“I did,” Yue replies, placing cartons of picken stock and packages of instant ramen onto the marble counter. “We should do it again sometime.” Pulling out her cutting board, she sets to work, beginning the stew in a pot on the stove while chopping up green onions with a sharp knife.

“It was pretty fun,” Jet admits, a bit reluctantly. He wasn’t super thrilled when Yue asked him to join her at the class, knowing just how little artistic ability he has, but he humored her because he wanted to make her happy, and now he’s so glad that he did. “Maybe next time we can do a still life session?” He rises from the couch, sliding behind the counter so that he can loop an arm around Yue’s waist as she cooks. “It’s difficult to paint you while you’re squirming.”

Slipping from his grasp, Yue grabs a tub of gochujang from the fridge, “You need to come up with a better excuse, Jet… I painted you while  _ you _ were squirming.” As the stew begins to boil on the stove, she covers it with a pot lid.

That’s enough to cause Jet to pause and think for a moment. Then, he embraces her, trapping her lightly against the counter as she surges upward to kiss him. 

“There’s no way I’d be able to paint you well, Yue,” he says, resting his forehead against hers. 

She’s breathless from their kisses, and she shivers as his fingers ghost along her skin. He’s said it before, and he’ll say it again, as many times as she needs to hear it.

“You’re already a work of art.”

**Author's Note:**

> shout out to jue nation. imma fill this ship tag one fic at a time, even if no one reads them, i promise ^
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/elsie_zel) | [tumblr](http://elsie-zel.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Elsie


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